The Way Things Are Now
by Alyssa4
Summary: Takes place after 'The call to vengeance' Obi Wan is going to get lots of trouble! FINAL CHAPTER UPLOADED!
1. Default Chapter

Tahl's death had changed their relationship forever. Qui Gon was even more quiet and inward than he had been before. Sometimes he seemed to forget that Obi-Wan existed at all. Obi-Wan tried to be strong, for his master's sake, but it was slowly killing him; eroding away at everything he had once believed was true. They hadn't gone on a mission since, and Obi-Wan was forced to spend his time wandering around the Jedi temple, thinking. It was the thinking that hurt him. That was another change. He had always believed that thinking was good, but now he understood the old saying "In much wisdom there is much grief, and he who increases knowledge increases sorrow". He thought too much, that was the only way to explain it. Everything that had ever happened to him, every stupid or embarrassing moment; everything wrong he had ever done, it all came back to him. He thought back to things he had done was he was young and still training in the temple. He thought of stupid comments he had made, that he was sure no body else remembered; but it didn't matter because he remembered. Most of all, Obi-Wan thought of the days surrounding Tahl's death. Obi-Wan was depressed, and that was something the other Jedi didn't understand. Everyone had noticed it, and at first they ruled it off as mourning for Tahl. Now even the council was worried. They had devoted a portion of a meeting to the topic, but nothing had been resolved.  
  
Obi-Wan watched a group of young children playing games with the force. Their teacher smiled and prodded them onward. She had even asked Obi-Wan if he wanted to join in, but he had refused. He watched them. They were so young and bright; they were innocent. They didn't understand death, or pain. One day, he knew, they would, and this thought only made him sadder. He finally reached a point where he couldn't watch them, and he got up to go. Only, he had no where to go. He had already exhausted every room, waiting for Qui Gon to regain his normality. Then something flicked across him mind. Conventionally, he would have refused it right off, but the time since Tahl's death had desensitized everything in him, and he smiled. He had somewhere to go now.   
  
He walked confidently down the halls, not letting on that he was going to leave the temple. He was going to tour Coruscant, and nobody could stop him. He had seen Coruscant before, many times, but this would be different. He had heard from many people that the lower levels of the city were crime ridden and dangerous. Adrenaline was just the thing he needed, he decided. Plus, he had heard that a good game of sabacc could be found down there. He smiled, no longer caring if the Jedi Masters would disapprove. For the first time in a long time, he was going to have fun.  
  
  
This is just a short prologue. Much More to come! Please reveiw.  
send suggestions to yellowbrick_1@hotmail.com 


	2. To Deaden The Pain

The Way Things Are Now: To Deaden the Pain  
By: Alyssa  
Disclaimer: I don't own Obi-Wan or any of the Star Wars characters  
Summary: Obi-Wan angst. He is being stifled by Qui-Gon's grief and goes out on his own only to find trouble.  
Comes after Book 16 of the Jedi Apprentice series, A Call to Vengeance  
  
Obi-Wan was beyond rational thought, but this also helped propel him. He needed to act irrationally for once, instead of always being the sensible one. He reached the lower levels of Coruscant easily, but soon realized he didn't fit in. Everyone was dark and dirty, all of them looked like they had something to hide. He quickly shed his Jedi robe, not worrying about being reprimanded for losing it. He did his best to hide his light saber, and smudged some dirt on his sterling tunic. It was as grimy as he had expected it to be, and as dangerous as he had hoped. His mind was alert and grateful to have something new to think about. He felt his adrenalin flare whenever someone looked at him.   
  
Obi-Wan had to stop and ask a dubious looking female Pho Ph'eahian. It had taken 10 credits and a quick glance at his lightsaber for the Pho Ph'eahain to point a finger and give ambiguous directions. It took Obi-Wan only 10 minutes to find the place.  
  
As he walked into the dingy building every head turned towards him. He found himself a seat at a sabacc table. He was immediately approached by a tall, hairy Abyssin. "You have to have physical credits here, no computer transactions." He spoke gruffly. Obi-Wan stood to reach into his pocket, once again revealing his lightsaber, and pulled out and great handful of credits he had been saving. The Abyssin grunted and moved away discontentedly.   
  
Obi-Wan noticed that the other players and the dealer were motionless and looking at him. "Are you just stupid or are you planning to play?" He spat quietly. His viciousness had surprised even him, but he chose not to show it. The Human dealer grunted, then pressed the button that sent the electric pulses to the sabacc card-chips. Obi-Wan felt the thrill of the game early on. He began to bluff and bet, all the time using his Jedi powers. The first round he got an "idiot's array" and won. He felt the power he had over the others, never feeling guilt over his use of the force. Winning made him feel like he was in control of at least one thing in his life.  
  
Three "idiot's arrays" and two "pure sabacc" wins later, and a stocky human player threw down his card-chips. "He's cheating!" The human yelled, "He must have a skifter!"  
"I'm not cheating." Obi-Wan defended himself, while also stuffing his new won money into his pocket.  
"Yeah? Well, me and Marmetto say you are!" a Gotal backed up the human. Obi-Wan knew this was trouble. Every force-warning he had was telling him to retreat. Obi-Wan merely held his head high.  
"You are only saying that because you can't stand being beaten by a child." Obi-Wan sneered, deliberately exaggerating his age. The two stood up and glared down at him.  
"I was cheated!" The human insisted. The Gotal started for Obi-Wan's side of the table, and the human did the same on the other side. Obi-Wan saw the glint in their eyes. A glint of a being ready to kill. He pulled out his lightsaber. Igniting it, he started to retreat backwards.  
  
The pair were temporarily thrown off, but soon regained composure; after pulling out a pair of blasters. The other occupants in the room quickly moved out of the way, too seasoned to be excited by a fight. Obi-Wan slowly started his way towards the door.  
"Don't think you'll get away with our money!" The human yelled. Obi-Wan was soon back onto the soiled, shady street. He continued to walk backwards and saw the pair follow him out the door. "Stop there or we will shoot!" the human smiled, as if he didn't really want Obi-Wan to stop. Obi-Wan smiled back, and soon blasts were raining around him.  
~~~  
Qui-Gon sat next to the calm waters in one of the temple's simulated rooms. The tranquility of the waters helped to ease his pain, if only temporarily. Abruptly, he forgot about the water and his mind interpreted a call from the force. Something was wrong. Qui-Gon was frustrated with his inability to place it, when suddenly it hit him; Obi-Wan. He dashed to Obi-Wan's room, but he wasn't there. He tried the cafeteria and several of Obi-Wan's favorite rooms. Finally, in a desperate last resort, he burst into a council meeting in session. All the Jedi masters and Bant, who stood before them, turned questioningly to Qui-Gon.  
"Obi-Wan is gone." He responded, his voice painful and forced. "And he's in trouble."  
~~~  
Obi-Wan blocked the blasts with lightning speed. He even pushed some towards the pair, though he didn't want to hurt them. He did all this while walking backwards and navigating the streets.   
"Give us the money!" The Gotal yelled, beginning to realize Obi-Wan wouldn't be that easy to defeat. Obi-Wan continued on silently, focusing all his energy on the force. He almost tripped over a strewn box, but regained balance, allowing only one blast to dart just above his shoulder. He saw an opening to his right: an alleyway. He quickly jumped to the side, blocked one last blast, and ran full speed down the narrow alley.   
  
He was aware when the two turned the corner after him, and he was aware the blasts restarted their persistent hammering, but he couldn't turn around; he didn't have time. If he tried to turn and defend himself, they could cut him down before his lightsaber was ready. Obi-Wan forgot his former depression, and recognized how very stupid he had been; very, very stupid. Silently, he begged his master to forgive him, he hadn't meant to end up this way.  
~~~  
*I'm sorry Master. I was stupid. I didn't mean for it to be like this.*  
"No!" Qui-Gon yelled aloud before he could think, "Don't give up on me!" then, *I can't lose you too*.   
  
The rest of the Jedi Masters stared at him. They were still working out a solution when Qui-Gon had burst out loud.  
"What happened?" Mace Windu questioned.  
"Obi-Wan." Qui-Gon answered. "Obi-Wan is being attacked."  
~~~  
His Master's encouragement gave him strength, but it was too little too late. Obi-Wan did a back-flip, desperately trying to avoid the blast he knew was coming for his head. As he landed on one knee he felt a pain slice through his other leg. Without lagging, he reactivated his lightsaber and jumped up. He twisted in mid-air and landed behind his pursuers. He kicked the human down, then landed on top of him while simultaneously hitting the blaster out of the Gotal's hand.  
"Don't even try to get it." Obi-Wan advised.   
  
A red glint caught his eye, his leg was bleeding onto the human. He slowly stood and backed off the human. He kept his lightsaber and his eyes steadily on the two.  
"I want you to leave your blasters, and leave the alley." Obi-Wan commanded, not allowing his voice to waver. The Gotal and human turned to hide their indignity, and walked slowly out of the alley. Obi-Wan waited for several minutes, watching the alley entrance. When he was sure they wouldn't be returning he collapsed on a pile of cloth and examined his leg. It was bad, but bacta should be able to clear it up if he got immediate attention. He tied off the wound tightly with and shred of dirty cloth, being sure the cloth didn't touch the wound, only his tunic. He stood and tested the leg; it would hold long enough to reach the temple.  
  
"Yes, you'll do quite fine." A voice came from behind him. He turned to find a tall human with sandy, blond curls and dark, piercing eyes smiling at him. "You'll do just fine."  
  
TBC….  
a/n  
Lots of trouble for Obi-Wan in the future! Just stay tuned! There will also be a lot of Qui-Gon and Mace Windu searching for him!  
  
There is much in the future for our young Obi-Wan! Please keep reading and PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE review!!!  
e-mail suggestions to yellowbrick_1@hotmail.com 


	3. Everything Lost

The Way Things Are Now: Everything Lost  
By: Alyssa  
Disclaimer: I don't own Obi-Wan or any of the Star Wars characters  
Summary: Obi-Wan angst. He is being stifled by Qui-Gon's grief and goes out on his own only to find trouble.  
Comes after Book 16 of the Jedi Apprentice series, A Call to Vengeance  
  
He had felt Obi-Wan's pain. Obi-Wan: his padawan. Obi-Wan had needed him before, and he had ignored it. Now, Qui-Gon wasn't sure if he would ever get Obi-Wan back. He had been mourning for Tahl for so long, and in so doing, he had ignored the only thing important he had left. Tahl was dead, that couldn't be helped, but Obi-Wan could.  
"We'll get him back Qui-Gon." Mace Windu said softly.  
"I know." Qui-Gon responded.  
  
~~~  
  
"Who are you?" Obi-Wan asked the distrustful looking man.  
"I'm merely a businessman. Come with me, and there won't be any trouble." The man promised, but Obi-Wan could see through him. Obi-Wan's mind was still warming up from its absence from use. He tried to think clearly, to think like a master would think, but there were too many cobwebs. He weighed his options, and he didn't have many. He could sense that this man was evil, but he was hurt and didn't know if he could defend himself if the man had a blaster.  
"The decision isn't really that hard, but I'll help you with it." The man sneered.   
  
Obi-Wan sensed the object flying towards him, and quickly moved his hand to hit it away. He was astounded when it latched firmly onto his wrist. He clawed at it with his left hand, but it was stuck. "What is this?" He demanded, waving it in the man's direction. How could he have been so stupid? Qui-Gon would never have been fooled. It suddenly hit Obi-Wan that he might never see Qui-Gon ever again; this could be the last time he saw Coruscant, the last time he saw anything. If Tahl could be killed so easily, couldn't he? He was so saddened by the thought that he almost missed the man's response.  
"It's a control device." The man grinned maliciously, obviously aware that he had the upper hand.  
"A control for what?" Obi-Wan said in a low, steady voice. If he was going to lose control, he wasn't going to show it.  
"A control for the force."  
  
Obi-Wan's brain went numb. A control for the force? The force can't be controlled, he tried to reason. He had to do something, something to test it. He looked at the pile of rags he had been sitting on not long again. Nothing happened, nothing at all. He was trying to move them, to pick them up, to do anything with them; but it wasn't working. He had lost his power in the force. He had lost the only thing that he had.  
  
Obi-Wan looked up at the man who had done this to him, the man that had taken everything away. The man laughed.  
"It's OK young Jedi. It's only temporary. You'll get all your powers back once you're in the ring."  
"The ring?" Without the force, Obi-Wan couldn't read the man's thoughts, and his dependence on the force made it impossible for him to do it by himself.  
"I run a fighting ring. Betting, you know? Of course you know, you were just playing sabacc!"  
  
Obi-Wan wasn't sure if the man talked that way normally, or if he was deliberately skipping around the question to upset Obi-Wan. Obi-Wan felt his anger rise. He was being taken advantage of. This man was going to use his skill in the force against some other creature. Obi-Wan started to think of what he would do if he had the force back, but mentally checked himself. No, the man wouldn't win more than he already had; Obi-Wan would never go to the dark side.  
  
~~~  
  
"He's gone." Qui-Gon breathed quietly.  
"What?" Mace Windu asked.  
"I lost him; his signal. It just disappeared. Burnt out." Qui-Gon looked around him. They were at the lower levels of Coruscant.  
"What does that mean?" Mace seemed genuinely worried. He had spent time with Obi-Wan, especially after Tahl's death.  
"I don't know."  
~~~  
  
Obi-Wan couldn't keep his frustration from growing. He was being shipped like an animal. The evil man, a man he didn't even know, had put him in a crate and now they were moving somewhere. Obi-Wan looked at the bracelet, the source of all his new problems. Quiet. Quiet had been the source before. He almost laughed at the humor of this. Quiet had been bad, but this type of quiet: quiet from the force, was so much worse.  
  
~~~  
  
"Qui-Gon!" Mace called. Qui-Gon turned quickly, and sprinted to where he had left the other man. If his heart had been broken before, now it was incinerated; Obi-Wan's robe, dirty, torn, and empty.  
  
TBC…  
  
I know this is really short, but I wrote it in like, 10 minutes. I knew you guys would want something soon! By the way: THANKS so much for your reviews! Keep it up!  
  
a/n  
OHHH!!!!! A fighting ring! This could get so much worse for Obi-Wan couldn't it? E-mail any ideas or suggestions to yellowbrick_1@hotmail.com 


	4. Troubled Stomachs

The Way Things Are Now: Troubled Stomachs  
By: Alyssa  
Disclaimer: I don't own Obi-Wan or any of the Star Wars characters  
Summary: Obi-Wan angst. He is being stifled by Qui-Gon's grief and goes out on his own only to find trouble.  
Comes after Book 16 of the Jedi Apprentice series, A Call to Vengeance  
  
  
Obi-Wan was utterly alone. He tried to reach out to Qui-Gon, Bant, or anything, but the bracelet restricted everything. He wondered what his master was doing; everyone must have heard by now. Obi-Wan's leg hurt, and there was nothing he could do. He couldn't retreat into the force, and he couldn't meditate. The man had only given him a small bacta patch to hold him over until they reached a hospital. Suddenly Obi-Wan realized that they had stopped. Obi-Wan held his breath, waiting for the crate to open; waiting to discover his future.  
  
The man smiled down at him, "Welcome to my office." He stepped away so Obi-Wan could step out of the crate. Obi-Wan quickly took in his surroundings. It wasn't an office. It looked like a large warehouse. There were boxes and cages, some filled with species Obi-Wan had never seen before, and there were people milling around. At the very end of the warehouse, small and very far away from where Obi-Wan was standing, there was a large metal cage reaching from floor to ceiling, with stands aligned on either side. "Ah, yes; the ring. You'll become very familiar with it in the next few days." The man smiled down at Obi-Wan. Obi-Wan's gut wrenched. He wouldn't do it; he would never fight for this man.  
"Is this him, Mirko?" a voice came from behind them. Obi-Wan and the man both turn.  
"Yes it is. What do you think Nehasy?" the evil man, Mirko, asked. Obi-Wan looked at the Bith standing, nose slightly held upward. He seemed to be appraising Obi-Wan. Obi-Wan quickly wondered if this was the brain behind Mirko's operation.  
"He's small, don't you think Mirko?" Nehasy finally asked.  
"I wouldn't trust him without the bracelet." Mirko simply answered.  
"Very well, then we'll test him out today." Nehasy said impatiently. "Pliny is bringing a vornskr." With that Nehasy left.  
  
Mirko looked down at Obi-Wan. "A vornskr should be nothing for you, right? Well, let's hope. I would hate to have wasted all this time for you to die the first day."  
  
~~~  
  
Qui-Gon was growing impatient. They were still there, the lower levels of Coruscant, and they had only gotten one lead: an illegal sabacc house.  
"I have a feeling he was here." Qui-Gon spoke more to himself than to Mace. Mace followed Qui-Gon up to the door of the building.  
"Why would he come here?" Mace asked finally.  
"I don't know, but he was here." Qui-Gon walked in and headed straight to who he sensed was the owner.  
"There was a boy in here earlier where did he go?" Qui-Gon demanded. The man looked at him.  
"What's it worth to you?" He asked.  
"You will tell me where the boy went!" Qui-Gon was losing his patience.  
"I'll tell you where he went. He left after some people accused him of cheating. They chased him outside with blasters."  
  
Qui-Gon's stomach churned, and he felt Mace stiffen behind him. Qui-Gon couldn't think; his brain refused to process anything at a normal rate. Obi-Wan was gone, hurt, or possibly dead. He had disappeared, and it was all Qui-Gon's fault.  
  
Qui-Gon flew past Mace and out the door. He distantly heard Mace follow him but didn't care. He flew down the streets. Yes, this was the way Obi-Wan had gone. Never had he felt so connected to Obi-Wan. Even though he couldn't sense him, he knew that he had run down this street earlier, and he was able to track him.  
  
Mace was surprised when Qui-Gon suddenly turned down an alley. He ran to keep up with the frantic master. Mace felt strangely out of place. This was Qui-Gon's mission; Obi-Wan was Qui-Gon's padawan. Mace didn't know how to help and stay out of the way at the same time. He shook the thought away and turned down the alley where Qui-Gon had disappeared. He stopped as he saw Qui-Gon hunched over, his back to Mace. Mace wondered briefly if this was it; wondered if Qui-Gon had found Obi-Wan.  
  
"He's not here." Qui-Gon answered for him. He stood and turned to face Mace. He held up a piece of cloth so Mace could see the dried blood that stained it. "He's gone."  
  
~~~  
  
Obi-Wan was in the medic ward. It was very big, and it was crammed with beds. There were beds of all sizes for all types of creatures. Only half a dozen of the beds were currently occupied.  
"He needs to be ready to fight tonight." Mirko was telling the medic.  
"Bacta takes a certain amount of tell to work." The medic complained, obviously tired of Mirko asking for the impossible.  
"But he will be well enough to fight." Mirko stated more than asked. Obi-Wan didn't need the force to see the evil that lingered around this man. He didn't care about anything, except the profits that were to be made.  
"If you say so." The medic answered contemptuously. Mirko left Obi-Wan with the medic. Obi-Wan watched him recede and wondered what Mirko was leaving to do.  
"What are you facing?" The medic asked.  
"What?" Obi-Wan asked uncomprehending.  
"What are you fighting?" the medic cleared up.  
"A vornskr." Obi-Wan answered.  
"You're a jedi right?" the medic asked. Obi-Wan merely nodded. "Than I'll be seeing you tonight."  
  
  
A/N  
  
Another short chapter to hold you over. Tell me if you would rather have longer chapter not updated as often, or still short fast-posted chapters. Thanks and review!  
  
p.s. I know exactly where this was going! hee hee. Anyway, e-mail suggestions to me at yellowbrick_1@hotmail.com 


	5. Reining Pain

The Way Things Are Now: Reining Pain (I love that pun!)  
By: Alyssa  
Disclaimer: I don't own Obi-Wan or any of the Star Wars characters  
Summary: Obi-Wan angst. He has been kidnapped to be used in an illegal fighting ring.  
Comes after Book 16 of the Jedi Apprentice series, A Call to Vengeance  
  
Obi-Wan tried to think over everything. If he was going to be locked in a cage with a vornskr, there was no way he couldn't fight. They had sharp teeth, a poisonous tail, and most of all, a hatred for Jedi. It would no doubt come after Obi-Wan as soon as it was able, and Obi-Wan could either defend himself, or die.   
  
It was happening again, Obi-Wan realized. He had no power; everything was out of his control. He couldn't decide on what to do, and he couldn't consult anyone either. He was supposed to be fighting in an hour.  
  
"Are you ready?" Mirko's voice came through Obi-Wan's thoughts. Obi-Wan turned and glared at Mirko. Mirko had been able to sneak up on Obi-Wan and Obi-Wan hated that.  
"I have an hour." Obi-Wan stated defiantly.  
"I thought you might want to check the ring out, seeing how the vornskr has already become accustomed to it." Mirko smiled. Obi-Wan stood to follow Mirko, refusing to admit that he did need to check out the ring.  
  
They walked slowly towards the large metal cage. Obi-Wan could feel fear gaining on him, but he refused to listen to it. He told himself that he was still depressed, and as such, he didn't care about what happened to him. But it wasn't true. Somewhere between the race for his life and his kidnapping, he had forgotten about his selfish woes. Now, more than ever, he wished to be near his Master.  
  
Mirko unlocked the heavy, massive gate and allowed Obi-Wan to enter. He then locked the gate behind him.  
"When the vornskr enters, I'll give you the force back. However, as soon as he leaves, I will take it again." He smiled at Obi-Wan. "I couldn't have you escaping now could I?" Obi-Wan looked at him dispassionately and turned to look deeper into the ring. It was big, very big, but Obi-Wan could only hope that he didn't have to do a lot of running. He couldn't rely on his speed. He'd have to climb and think of other ways to elude and injure the animal. He turned towards Mirko again, and spoke with the most calm, calculating voice he could muster.  
"Do I get any weapons?" He asked.  
"You are allowed a knife since vornskrs have claws and sharp teeth." Mirko answered, noticeably impressed at Obi-Wan's question.  
"I'm ready." Obi-Wan whispered.  
  
~~~  
"Obi-Wan is strong in the force, I'm sure he has found a way to take care of himself." Mace tried to talk to Qui-Gon as they headed back towards the temple.  
"Right now I don't think he has use of the force." Qui-Gon answered quietly, as if he was still thinking about it.  
"How is that possible? Someone has found a way to harness the force?" Mace asked with a mixture of amazement and dread. Qui-Gon nodded.  
"It's the only explanation. Obi-Wan isn't dead. He's been kidnapped, I'm sure of it. I just can't feel him….." His voice trialed off as they reached the doors.   
"I'll assemble the council. Meet there in 10 minutes." Mace told Qui-Gon as he hurried through the door.  
  
~~~  
  
Obi-Wan tried to control his breath, but his heart was pounding. In the last hour the stands around the ring had become packed. All he could hear was a constant yell consisting of bid making, name-calling, and just plain howling. He had yet to see the vornskr. He could hear the people in the closest rows making bids on and against him. Obi-Wan felt his stomach churn and was glad he hadn't eaten.  
"The fight will begin in five minutes!" An alien announcer called over a speaker system.  
  
~~~  
  
"We found his robe…." Mace stood next to Qui-Gon in front of the council instead of in his regular seat, "It had blood on it."  
Lacking their usual discipline, the masters started to mutter among themselves.  
"Blood, there was?" Yoda asked, as a way to silence the others.  
"Yes, but I'm sure he is not dead." Qui-Gon answered.  
"Feel him, you can?" Yoda asked. Qui-Gon shook his head.  
"Qui-Gon believes that the force is being blocked." Mace answered.  
"Blocked? What can block the force?" Another council member asked.  
"I don't know." Qui-Gon answered.  
  
~~~  
  
Obi-Wan's heart leapt to his throat and he suddenly felt light headed. The vornskr had entered and was growling and snapping its jaws, straining on the end of its chain. It was dark gray in color, with long stringy fur and thick massive legs. It bared its teeth and almost immediately Obi-Wan lost sight of its entire muzzle. Obi-Wan could no longer hear the roar of the crowd, but instead he heard every click of the animal's nails against the cold, metal floor.  
  
It hit Obi-Wan so quickly that he almost fell over. He had forgotten how strong the force could be.  
  
~~~  
  
"Obi-Wan!" Qui-Gon called out, attracting the all the Masters attention. He had had been trying to contact his padawan ever since he'd lost contact, and suddenly he had gotten through.  
  
~~~  
  
Startled at his master's voice he almost missed the advance of the vornskr. Sometime after his receiving of the force, the monster had been released, and it was heading right for him.  
  
~~~  
  
*Silence Master! Please!* He heard his padawan yell. Qui-Gon looked at everyone around him with concern.  
"Something is wrong; he wants me to be quiet." Qui-Gon told them, dropping his connection with Obi-Wan.  
"Listen, you can." Yoda urged him. Qui-Gon nodded and tuned back into Obi-Wan's mental frequency.   
  
~~~  
  
Obi-Wan had just enough time to jump out of the way of the vornskr's sweeping claws. He landed awkwardly with his back to the animal, and quickly swung around. The knife he clutched felt slippery in his sweaty hand, and he quickly shifted it to the left. The vornskr turned and wasted no time charging again. This time Obi-Wan waited patiently, shifting his weight between his legs and getting ready to spring.   
  
The vornskr was unbearably close now, and the crowd begun to murmur. Obi-Wan gritted his teeth and waited one final moment. The vornskr was then close enough to smell, and Obi-Wan over it twisting in the air. He lunged down with his hand and cut as deeply as he could without losing his knife. He landed on his side and had to scramble to get up. The vornskr was temporarily stunned, but so was Obi-Wan. Somewhere in his twist, the vornskr had managed to twist his head and had caught Obi-Wan's leg with its teeth.  
  
~~~  
  
"He is fighting something, and he has been injured." Qui-Gon spoke distantly as he continued to monitor Obi-Wan's thoughts. Mace shook his head and looked Yoda in the eyes.  
  
~~~  
  
The vornskr was getting to its feet again, and Obi-Wan had to act fast. He ran to his left and leaped as high as he could onto the rungs of the cage. He was a good 15 ft above the floor of the cage, but he climbed higher for safety. The crowd behind him was yelling and booing. It was all Obi-Wan could do to block them out. The vornskr ran towards the wall and snapped angrily as it jumped and tried to reach Obi-Wan.   
  
For the first time he was able to think again, and he realized that Qui-Gon was still there. A new determination filled him, and he felt strong and powerful all at once. He had the force, and he could win. He held on with one hand and gripped the knife firmly in the other.  
  
The audience gasped as Obi-Wan let go and fell right on top of the snarling beast.  
  
~~~  
  
The council was still staring intently at Qui-Gon, waiting for more news. They all caught their breath when they heard him choke shallowly.   
"What's happened?" Mace Windu asked, unable to wait for the answer.  
"He had taken a risk." Was Qui-Gon's cryptic response.  
  
~~~  
  
He was rolling with the vornskr now, using the force to avoid its teeth, claws, and tail as much as possible. He lashed out with his knife, stabbing the animal over and over again. A tooth brushed against the side of his face and a claw nicked his stomach, but he stayed on target. He punched its eye as hard as he could, and while the beast was stunned, he rolled on top of it slashed its throat, jumped up and ran. As he distanced himself he could hear it gargling on its own blood, and struggling to stand.   
  
He turned right as the vornskr was standing up. It howled and scraped the ground impatiently, but it still had some life in it. He locked eyes with Obi-Wan and began to run as fast as it could. Again, Obi-Wan waited, this time with more composure. As the animal approached, he formulated another plan. When the vornskr was spitting distance away, Obi-Wan jumped into a flip in the air.  
  
He landed squarely on the animal's back, looking over its tail. Quickly as possible, he fell down to be lying flat on his stomach. He then reach down and jammed up with the knife, catching the animal in the gut. The vornskr screeched and its tail lashed out suddenly striking Obi-Wan in the back, but it was too little too late. The wound was fatal, and the dying animal walked its last halting steps and fell down. Obi-Wan rolled off the back and lie dormant on the ground. He still had the force, and was able to fight the stunning poison. He stood shakily and looked into the crowd that was cheering loudly. His caught Mirko in the front and Obi-Wan stared at him. I will escape, he told Mirko silently.  
  
*Master….* Obi-Wan managed, before the force was once again taken away him. Without the force, Obi-Wan immediately collapsed and fell unconscious next to the dead vornskr.  
  
~~~  
  
"He has won." Qui-Gon stated, "But I've lost him again." He added.  
"So they can control the force." Mace stated everyone's silent thought. The chamber grew silent.  
  
  
A/N:  
So how did you all like it? I wrote it all today because I knew it had been a long time. It's been busy with the holidays and my first job… anyway, how did you all like that one? Please review! 


	6. Indecision

The Way Things Are Now: Indecision  
By: Alyssa  
Disclaimer: I don't own Obi-Wan or any of the Star Wars characters  
Summary: Obi-Wan angst. He has been kidnapped to be used in an illegal fighting ring and has participated in his first fight.  
Comes after Book 16 of the Jedi Apprentice series, A Call to Vengeance  
  
Obi-Wan opened his eyes against the groaning pain. He was in the hospital again. He had won the fight. He tried to lift his head to look around, but it was too heavy and drug-laden to move. And yet again, he was without the force. He thought back to the fight, when he had had the force. He only wished he could have talked to Qui-Gon more. 'Atleast he knows I'm alive' Obi-Wan thought 'He'll come get me'. Reluctantly Obi-Wan realized he didn't fully believe what he had just told himself. What if Qui-Gon couldn't find him? Obi-Wan didn't even know where he was, so how should Qui-Gon?  
  
Obi-Wan finally reasoned with himself; at the first opportunity he would try to escape. As soon as he was outside, he would be able to contact the temple and they could come pick him up. Obi-Wan was trying to think of a way to escape this prison, when the medic came into view.   
"So you are still alive? I hoped you would be." The medic smiled warmly as he changed Obi-Wan's bandages. This man seemed genuinely nice, and Obi-Wan couldn't figure why he would be working for Mirko.  
  
"He wanted you to fight again today, but I insisted you were not ready." The medic turned to fiddle with something on the table behind him. "Tomorrow you will be fighting a wookie. This one will be a little tougher for you I think." The medic said gravely.  
"Why?" Obi-Wan asked. He knew a little of wookies, but the vornskr had surely been just as ferocious.  
"You will not be allowed a knife." The medic said quickly. Obi-Wan's eyes shot open and his jaw dropped open to speak.  
"Why not?" He finally asked.  
"Even trained wookies won't use their claws in battle." The medic answered.  
"Then how am I supposed to beat him?" Obi-Wan asked. The medic shrugged.  
"You are the Jedi." He merely answered.  
  
~~~  
"I don't think they could have gotten him onto another planet that fast." Qui-Gon told the council, "He must still be on Coruscant."  
"Agree with you I will." Yoda answered softly. "But difficult finding him will be."  
~~~  
  
Obi-Wan was devastated. If he had ever felt more hopeless, Obi-Wan couldn't remember it. Wookiees were tall and strong; without a weapon, Obi-Wan was lost.  
~~  
  
READER PARTICIPATION TIME!!!  
Ok, here goes:   
I could write another battle scene, this one involving a wookiee, but that would be very difficult. I could also have Obi-Wan plan an escape, but it probably wouldn't go well and he'd still get hurt. I think I could get the escape scenario done faster than the fighting one. What do you think?  
Vote by writing a review:  
a.)wookiee fight  
b.)escape attempt  
  
If you choose b.) then:  
a.)Obi-Wan gets hurt, but manages to escape  
b.)Obi-Wan gets hurt, but manages to escape, and Qui-Gon bursts in with great difficulty just to see that Obi-Wan has left  
c.)Obi-Wan escapes only to get lost in an area of Courescant that he doesn't know; faces many-a-peril  
d.)Obi-Wan tries and fails 


	7. Desperation

The Way Things Are Now: Desperation  
By: Alyssa  
Disclaimer: I don't own Obi-Wan or any of the Star Wars characters  
Summary: Obi-Wan angst. He has been kidnapped to be used in an illegal fighting ring and has participated in his first fight.  
Comes after Book 16 of the Jedi Apprentice series, A Call to Vengeance  
  
"Qui-Gon! Where are you going?" Mace called as he tried to keep up with the hurrying Master.  
"There has to be some sort of evidence as to where he has been taken. I have to find it and find him before he loses a fight." Qui-Gon said strongly, eyes fixed straight ahead.  
"We were already there, and we didn't find anything. If there was something that we missed, it's probably already destroyed by now." Mace tried to reason with him. Qui-Gon ignored his friend and kept on walking towards an exit.  
"Don't you think it would be faster to check with some of our informers and see if they know of a fighting ring?" Mace asked slyly, stopping immediately. Qui-Gon stopped and turned towards Mace.  
  
Qui-Gon could have kicked himself. Why hadn't he thought of that? His apprentice was in trouble and he hadn't been thinking rationally.  
"It's ok Qui-Gon, you're under a lot of stress. You just have to calm down, and listen to people." Mace reassured him. Qui-Gon nodded, but refused to admit he'd been wrong.  
  
~~~  
  
Obi-Wan stared at the dark ceiling. He knew that he couldn't face a Wookiee. If he was planning to escape, then he had to do it tonight, before the fight. Obi-Wan wasn't chained to the hospital bed, but he was sure the door was locked, and he didn't have his lightsaber.   
  
Obi-Wan stood up slowly. He was still light-headed, and he had to steady himself against the rail. Obi-Wan tried to think, but his head was pounding and he was very tired. He could try to unlock the door, or try to summon the medic, he finally reasoned. Obi-Wan was sure the medic would help him. Obi-Wan briefly looked for something to call the medic with, but then an idea hit him. He wrenched off his heart monitor in one fluid motion. The machine started to buzz loudly, waking a couple of the creatures nearest to him. Obi-Wan began to think of way to combat this new development when the medic burst in. He turned to look at Obi-Wan.  
  
"What's going on?" The medic demanded. The medic walked towards him and quickly turned off the monitor. "What are you doing?"  
"I can't fight the wookiee. I have to escape." Obi-Wan tried to explain.  
"No one has ever escaped from here." The medic answered softly; his eyes warning and his voice imploring.  
"I've got to try, and if you help me, I think I can make it." Obi-Wan looked at the medic pleadingly.  
"What do you think I can do for you?" The medic asked incredulously.  
"You can leave the door unlocked for one. A map or directions would be nice." Obi-Wan started. "Do you know how to get this off?" He asked, holding up his wrist.  
"No, I don't." The medic answered simply.  
"What about my lightsaber? Could you get that for me?" Obi-Wan asked. The medic shook his head.  
"Mirko has been carrying it around with him." Obi-Wan sighed.  
"What about the others?"  
"I can tell you how to get out, but I must warn you, you'll probably die." The medic cautioned.  
  
~~~  
  
"Is he trustworthy?" Qui-Gon asked.  
"Yes." Mace replied as they quickly navigated the streets of Courscant once again. "I've used him many times before." They reached a doorway to a housing complex, and Mace stopped. "Let me go in alone. He won't trust a stranger." Qui-Gon nodded and Mace went in without him.  
  
Qui-Gon waited impatiently by the door. Minutes went by and Qui-Gon felt nervous and angry at the same time. He need to be using this time to find and rescue Obi-Wan. Suddenly Mace came out.  
"I know where Obi-Wan is. My source told me he watched him fight a vornskr last night." Mace Windu relied happily.  
"Let's go!" Qui-Gon yelled. He and Mace raced down the dark streets.  
  
~~~  
  
Obi-Wan peered around the corner of the dark corridor. The medic's directions had been simple, but now Obi-Wan wasn't so sure. More guards were patrolling the areas closer to the exit. Without the aid of the force, Obi-Wan had to wait for an opening.  
  
~~~  
  
Qui-Gon sat anxiously as the speeder puttered on. Mace had insisted that they should hire someone to drive them to the ring. Qui-Gon knew this was a faster way, but he felt like he wasn't doing anything to get closer to Obi-Wan.   
"How long until we get there?" Qui-Gon asked.  
"Soon." The driver responded.  
  
~~~  
  
Obi-Wan continued to look around the corner. Unexpectedly, two guards turned from somewhere unseen and began walking briskly towards him. Obi-Wan backed around the corner and spotted a door. Praying that it was unlocked, he hurried towards it and slipped in. Closing the door behind him, he turned around. He started to walk forward, but in the relative dark, he tripped and fell. He turned to see what had tripped him; he was face to face with the dead vornskr.  
  
~~~  
  
Qui-Gon hopped off the speeder, leaving Mace to pay the fare. He started towards the large warehouse; running without thinking. It was dark and he narrowly avoided a collision with a parked speeder.   
"Qui-Gon!" Mace called sternly, but Qui-Gon wouldn't listen. "Qui-Gon, you can't just burst in there!"   
Qui-Gon stopped and turned around. "You're right. You should go back and inform the temple." As much as Qui-Gon respected and appreciated Mace, he was getting in the way.  
"No way. I'll call them, and then we will both enter cautiously." Mace answered firmly. Qui-Gon could only nod. He knew his friend was right, but he silently disagreed.  
  
"We've found where they are holding Obi-Wan." Mace Windu called to the counsel.  
"Wait for reinforcements you will." Yoda spoke through the line.  
"I fear that is not wise." Mace answered gravely. "The boy is scheduled to fight a Wookiee in a few hours." Qui-Gon's head snapped in the direction of Mace. He was enraged; Mace had forgotten to mention that minor detail to him earlier. Qui-Gon glared at Mace, and Mace merely gave him a blank stare. Yoda sighed over the line.  
"Reinforcements I will send, but go in you must. May the force be with you." Mace cut the line.  
"Let's go in." Mace told Qui-Gon, jogging passed him. Qui-Gon's anger died as he followed his friend.  
  
~~~   
  
The room Obi-Wan had entered was full with dead bodies. The vornskr was the closest and freshest of the group. Obi-Wan felt the sudden urge to vomit, and started to gag. The smell was thick and penetrating. He wanted nothing more than to run as far from the room as he could, but he knew better. If he ran out now, he would bump right into the guards. Instead, he turned to face the wall and tried not to breathe. If only he had the force now.  
  
~~~  
  
Qui-Gon and Mace approached the door. Mace tested it, and to no one's surprise, it was locked. Qui-Gon ignited his lightsaber and cut a large, crude hole in the metal door. He rushed in before Mace, only to be confronted with a maze of halls. He had no idea which way to go, or where he could find Obi-Wan.  
"Qui-Gon! We've got to move!" Mace called urgently. Then Qui-Gon heard it; he had triggered an alarm.  
  
~~~  
  
Obi-Wan heard the startling sound. Something was happening. Some sort of alarm was going off. He moved closer to the door and pressed his ear against it: People were running. If he was going to leave, he knew this was just the time to do it.  
A/N: I'm trying to be a quicker updater ?, so these parts will probably be shorter. Since everyone responded so well to the last reader questions, lets ask some more. Oh, and if this part wasn't as good as usual, I'm sorry. I kind of hurried it and I'm kind of lacking the passion right now, but I'm sure I'll get it back!  
  
READER PARTICIPATION TIME!!! You don't have to answer all the questions, only the ones you want to.  
1.)After Obi-Wan escapes, should he be able to get the wrist thingy ma-bob off?  
a.) If yes, how does he get it off?  
2.)What kind of unseemly characters should he meet?  
3.)Do you have any challenges for me?  
4.)How should Qui-Gon react? What will he do when he finds Obi-Wan has escaped?  
  
That's all I can think of right now, so knock yourselves out! Here are the results from the last READER PARTICIPATION TIME!!!:  
  
READER PARTICIPATION TIME!!!  
Ok, here goes:   
I could write another battle scene, this one involving a wookiee, but that would be very difficult. I could also have Obi-Wan plan an escape, but it probably wouldn't go well and he'd still get hurt. I think I could get the escape scenario done faster than the fighting one. What do you think?  
Vote by writing a review:  
a.) wookiee fight //  
b.) escape attempt//////  
  
If you choose b.) then:  
a.) Obi-Wan gets hurt, but manages to escape  
b.) Obi-Wan gets hurt, but manages to escape, and Qui-Gon bursts in with great difficulty just to see that Obi-Wan has left///  
c.) Obi-Wan escapes only to get lost in an area of Courescant that he doesn't know; faces many-a-peril/////  
d.) Obi-Wan tries and fails / 


	8. Irony

The Way Things Are Now: Irony  
By: Alyssa  
Disclaimer: I don't own Obi-Wan or any of the Star Wars characters  
Summary: Obi-Wan angst. He is trying to escape the fighting ring, and at the same time Qui-Gon has come in to save him.  
Comes after Book 16 of the Jedi Apprentice series, A Call to Vengeance  
  
  
Obi-Wan slid the door open slightly. The guards were all running down the hall to the left. Obi-Wan briefly wondered if the wookiee, or some other animal, had escaped and was causing all this trouble. Whatever it was, it couldn't have come at a better time. He silently thanked whatever it was, as he slipped to the right.   
  
~~~  
  
Qui-Gon and Mace ran as far from the door as they could. They could hear the shouts of the guards following them, and they tried their best to lose them. They turned down corridors, and doubled back. They were getting nowhere soon, and the whole situation turned frustrating. Finally, Mace ducked into the nearest door and motioned for Qui-Gon to follow him.  
  
~~~  
  
Obi-Wan tried to run in the opposite direction of the guards, but they seemed to be constantly changing their course. He was growing tired and he had no idea where an exit was. He stopped to lean against a wall. His right leg protested against the strain he had submitted it to. The blaster wound was still tender, and the place where the vornskr had bit him hadn't fully healed. Obi-Wan's lungs yearned for air, and he couldn't stop panting. He had faced greater physical feats when he'd had the force, and he now realized how weak he was without it.  
  
~~~  
  
"What is this place?!?" Mace asked incredulously when they turned to see where they were. The room was full of bodies from countless species. Qui-Gon knelt down to examine the body closest to him.  
"It's a vornskr." He told Mace. "This must be the one Obi-Wan fought." He paused to look around him. He took a deep breath, half expecting to see Obi-Wan's lifeless body curled in a corner. Sighing with relief when he realized he wasn't going to find him here, Qui-Gon tried to reach out with the force, hoping that maybe, just maybe, Obi-Wan had it back. He shook his head and turned his clouded eyes towards Mace. "I still can't feel him."  
  
~~~  
  
Obi-Wan started to run again. He had to think, he had to remember the medic's directions. It was hopeless. He had strayed too far away from his original course, and now he was lost. Then he felt it. Just when he thought his senses were useless, he felt the tiniest draft. He ran towards it, and as he turned the corner, sure enough, there was a door.  
"Where do you think you're going?"   
Obi-Wan turned to face Mirko. He was grinning widely and clutching Obi-Wan's lightsaber.   
"Give it to me." Obi-Wan whispered.  
"What? This old thing? Don't you remember you don't have the force?" Mirko asked maliciously. His blond curls caught the light of the moon shining in from outside the open door, and his dark eyes glistened cruelly.  
"I have the force, it's just being quiet." Obi-Wan countered sharply. His blue eyes glowered at Mirko as if he was a disgusting mistake.  
"That's right, keep telling yourself that and you'll get it back." Mirko sneered. "Come on, you know you can't face me. The odds are better if you face the wookiee."  
"I'll never do it." With that, Obi-Wan ran and dived between Mirko's legs. Even without the force, Obi-Wan could still strategize.  
  
~~~  
  
"We've got to find him. He's got to be here somewhere." Qui-Gon gritted through clinched teeth.  
"Come on." Mace called, and they ran out of the room. There were no guards in sight, and they were encouraged slightly. Qui-Gon stopped suddenly, and Mace ran into him from behind.  
"What's going on?" Mace asked impatiently.  
"I don't know." Qui-Gon responded honestly. It had been brief and sharp, but it had knocked the wind out of him. "I think I know where he is." He whispered.  
  
~~~  
Instead of standing up, Obi-Wan merely crouched. As Mirko turned violently, Obi-Wan was able to punch upward and strike the hilt of the now-ignited lightsaber. Without the force, he wasn't strong enough to hit it out of Mirko's hand, but Mirko's grip had been loosened. Obi-Wan jumped upward, and swung his hand to the side in another attempt to knock the lightsaber from Mirko's grip. This time he succeeded, and the lightsaber swung to the side. As it turned in the air, it barely sliced Obi-Wan's left leg. Obi-Wan lunged in its direction and landed heavily on the cold floor besides it. He reached his right hand towards it and grabbed the metal handle. He turned to face Mirko, who already had a blaster in hand.  
  
Mirko looked as if he was going to speak, but Obi-Wan decided to interrupt him. He shot up and ran towards Mirko with his lightsaber leading the way. Mirko stepped to the side, and Obi-Wan ran past him. Obi-Wan turned as quick as possible. Mirko leveled the blaster towards him and started to shoot.  
  
The bullets were moving too fast for Obi-Wan. He had no idea where each one was going, and therefore he could do nothing but slowly back towards the door. Sweat poured down his forehead, and his grip on the lightsaber began to slip. He resigned quietly that he had to get out as fast as possible. He hadn't finished his thought when a blaster bullet tore through his lower right abdomen.  
  
~~~  
  
Qui-Gon and Mace were racing for the door they had entered through when he felt it again. It was sharp and short, but more distinct. It was Obi-Wan; Qui-Gon was sure of it. He was within his grasp. Now, if only he could reach him before he disappeared again.  
  
~~~  
  
Obi-Wan's anger flared and he clipped the next shot with the tip of his lightsaber. His confidence rising, Obi-Wan ignored his pain and perfectly aimed his next shot. He caught this bullet square in the middle of his lightsaber, and it ricocheted back to hit Mirko in the arm. Mirko let out a wail and gripped his arm while falling to the floor. Obi-Wan gave him one last look, and then ran at full speed towards the door.   
  
His stomach screamed in protest and he felt about to throw up, but he could see the dark sky through the door and he raced with only that in mind. As he fled through the doorway, the cool air hit him and suddenly he was free of all pain. It refreshed him beyond expectation and he continued to run at top speed. He passed barrels and boxes when suddenly he spotted something of utter usefulness. It was a speeder, probably used by one of the workers, or to transport fighters, but Obi-Wan didn't care. He jumped in and ignited the engine, and soon he was racing towards the streets.  
  
~~~  
  
Qui-Gon turned the corner first, and came in sight of the door they had entered. He stopped suddenly when he noticed a figure groaning on the ground. He noted immediately that it wasn't Obi-Wan, but he knelt besides it nevertheless.  
"Who are you? Where is Obi-Wan?" Qui-Gon yelled harshly, but the man merely smiled.   
"Qui-Gon." Mace called softly. Qui-Gon turned with some harsh words ready for Mace as well, but instead his eyes widened. Twenty plus guards were situated behind them.  
  
~~~  
  
The farther Obi-Wan got from the warehouse, the worse his condition became. He began to lose the adrenaline of battle, and his vision began to blur. He could barely keep his one hand on the wheel, and he gripped his side with the other. He began to retch and his eyes started to water. Within moments, he lost control completely and the speeder swerved until it crashed into a wall.  
  
  
  
  
a/n: Wow, I wrote that all today. Anyway, I would still like the readers to answer the question from last time (If you want too!) but you can always just put up suggestions. I'll try to corporate as much as possible while still doing some stuff on my own. Anyway, please review!  
  
READER PARTICIPATION TIME!!! You don't have to answer all the questions, only the ones you want to.  
5.)After Obi-Wan escapes, should he be able to get the wrist thingy ma-bob off?   
a.) If yes, how does he get it off?  
6.)What kind of unseemly characters should he meet?  
7.)Do you have any challenges for me?  
8.)How should Qui-Gon react? What will he do when he finds Obi-Wan has escaped? 


	9. Awakening

The Way Things Are Now: Awakening  
By: Alyssa  
Disclaimer: I don't own Obi-Wan or any of the Star Wars characters  
Summary: Obi-Wan angst. He is trying to escape the fighting ring, and at the same time Qui-Gon has come in to save him.  
Comes after Book 16 of the Jedi Apprentice series, A Call to Vengeance  
  
  
Obi-Wan turned to his side and coughed painfully. His whole body was covered with sweat and he felt as if his head was going to explode. He repositioned himself on the bed and tried to roll to his other side.  
  
His eyes darted open and he sat up as much as was possible in his state. Where was he? Whose bed was this? He realized he didn't remember what had happened, or how he had gotten here. All he remembered was escaping the fighting warehouse. And Mirko, he remembered Mirko.   
  
"Are you old enough to drive?" The middle-aged female asked him as she entered the room. Obi-Wan blinked, then tried to wipe the sweat that was running into his eyes, but his wet sleeve only made it worse. He stared at the woman, confused. She smiled warmly at him.   
  
Obi-Wan started to cough again, and the lady was soon by his side.  
"Are you all right?" She asked, worry evident in her voice. "I didn't mean it."   
Obi-Wan looked at her, trying to discern just how sincere she was. She looked back at his frightened eyes, and her eyes began to well. "You remind me of my son." She whispered. Then she turned and stood.   
  
Obi-Wan watched her back as she tried to recoup. He was completely confused, and he had no idea where he was. All he knew was that he was in a modest, fairly dingy room, with a woman on the edge of the breakdown. While in the process of connecting the information, the woman turned back towards him.  
"I'm sorry." She said, seemingly earnest. Her brown hair, slightly touched with gray, hung down to her chin, and her dull brown eyes still shone with moisture. "I only had a limited supply of bacta, but I think you are alright."  
  
Obi-Wan pulled the sheet off his body to assess his injuries. Despite the stiffness, and the acute pain that he suffered from sudden movements, he was surprised at how relatively good he felt.   
"What happened?" He finally asked. His voice cracked and it sounded hoarse, but the lady still smiled when she heard it.  
"There was an accident in your speeder. I found you just lying on the road. I got you to my house as quickly as possible. I was so glad that a gang hadn't found you." She answered. Obi-Wan had heard of gangs, and of some of the horrific things they did.  
"So am I." He whispered softly.  
  
~~~  
  
From their cell, they could hear the action outside. The Jedi reinforcements had arrived, and were engaged, by the sound of it, in a very lively battle.  
"They've been here ten minutes. Wanna bet it will be over in five more?" Mace asked Qui-Gon tiredly. Qui-Gon turned to stare at him, reminding Mace that this was no time for joking. But Mace's guess was near accurate, and soon a Jedi opened the door.  
"Sorry we're so late." He started. "We got lost."  
  
Qui-Gon talked to Yoda through his comlink.   
"Obi-Wan escaped." With this first vocalizing of the fact, Qui-Gon felt himself bite his lip.  
"Obi-Wan is then still well." Yoda concluded. Qui-Gon nodded, because he was afraid his voice would betray his emotions. "Frustrated you are." Yoda added wisely.  
"Yes." Qui-Gon answered.  
"Expect him to wait, did you?" Yoda asked. Qui-Gon laughed. No, he had never expected Obi-Wan to wait. "Many Jedi are there now. Help you they will."  
"Yes, Master Yoda." Qui-Gon answered and turned off his comlink. He turned to see Mace explaining the situation to some of the newly arrived Jedi, and they in turn talked to him. Qui-Gon just watched him for a while, trying to decipher what was being said by watching Mace's emotions.   
  
Finally, Mace approached him. He sighed, and took in a deep breath.  
"They got everybody rounded up, but Mirko got away." Mace relayed softly. Qui-Gon just stared at him, that name held no meaning.  
"Blond guy." Mace clarified. If a wall, or something else solid, was nearby, Qui-Gon would have punched it.  
"Out of everybody, he had to get away!"  
"He doesn't have a better idea of where Obi-Wan is than we do. What we need to do now, is get out into Coruscant and look for him." Mace responded calmly. Qui-Gon hated the fact that Mace was so sensible, but then he reminded himself that it wasn't Mace's padawan at stake.  
"Yes," Qui-Gon finally answered, and he walked towards the door.  
  
~~~  
  
Obi-Wan was able to drink some of the soup, but the bread was too much for his throbbing abdomen. He carefully lifted up the small bandage to reveal the blaster shot. It didn't look as bad as he was expecting, but it hurt like hell.  
  
Obi-Wan finally pushed the tray away, he couldn't eat it anymore. Already he could feel his gastric juices at work, and he experienced an uncomfortable sort of pain. He sighed and once more took in his surroundings. Even though this place was reasonably nice, and a whole lot better than the warehouse, he knew he had to leave. He had to contact Qui-Gon somehow. He had already asked the lady, Salali as her name, but she was too poor for even a means of communication. He was also afraid that somehow Mirko would find him, and he couldn't stand it if Salali got hurt. He swung his legs over the side of the bed, but he was still too weak, and nearly collapsed. The little room was closing in on him, and he finally realized that if someone came through the door, he had no means of escape.  
  
"Salali?" He called, but there was no answer. Obi-Wan couldn't feel if anything was wrong, but he had to act as if it was. He stood once again, this time fully supporting himself by gripping the edge of the bed. He walked slowly until he ran out of bed to hold onto. Then he moved cautiously, arms out to the side, towards the door. When he reached it, he opened it enough to form the smallest crack. He could hear people talking, no arguing. He wasn't able to distinguish what they were saying, because their voices were so low. He realized that they didn't want to disturb him. Salali was protesting something, and he could hear the strain in her voice. The other voice, another female, was getting higher as she argued her case.  
  
Obi-Wan's stomach began to contract, and he could feel sickness gripping him. He gasped quietly as he tried to suck in enough air. His head started to spin, and he could feel himself leaning more and more onto the door. The door moved with his weight until it was fully open, then he slid down to the floor.  
  
~~~  
  
"He probably hasn't gotten far. We can start a search radius and work our way outward." Mace strategized as he drove their speeder. Qui-Gon merely nodded. He hadn't spoken since they had gotten into the car. They passed several buildings, heading towards the area they were designated to search. At last, Qui-Gon broke his silence, and turned to face Mace.  
"Do you think he's ready?" He asked Mace solemnly. Mace looked at him then turned quickly back towards the road.  
"Ready for what?"  
"The gangs, criminals, and other beasts that are on this planet?"  
"Yes." Mace answered trying to hide the slight conflict he was feeling. He wasn't sure if he had just lied or not.  
  
~~~  
  
"Obi-Wan? Obi-Wan?" Salali called worriedly. Obi-Wan opened his eyes to stare up at Salali and a girl who slightly resembled her. While Salali's eyes were compassionate, the girl's eyes seemed to contain a slight hatred.  
"Are you ok?" Salali continued to ask. Obi-Wan nodded as best he could from the floor, and Salali smiled with relief. She turned to who Obi-Wan now assumed was her daughter and spoke to her. "Help me get him to the bed." The girl gritted her teeth but didn't speak. She roughly grabbed one of Obi-Wan's arms as her mom grabbed the other.  
  
When Obi-Wan securely back in bed, he was able to look at the girl more closely. She was around his age and had brown hair, but darker than her mothers. It had bright red streaks and was pulled up in an intricate, somewhat spiky, design. She wore thick, loose pants, common on the streets of Coruscant; and a cropped shirt designed for maximum mobility. She looked all together rebellious.  
  
"Does he have to stay in Setne's bed?" She asked his mother firmly.  
"What do you suggest? We keep him in the closet?" Her mother asked her incredulously.  
"No, I suggested we get him out of the house!" the girl answered loudly.  
"Why Safiya? So he could be killed like your brother?" Salali shot back automatically. Immediately Obi-Wan felt both women tense up. Safiya closed her eyes tightly and shook as if trying to clear her head. Then she opened her eyes and looked straight at Obi-Wan. The same hatred was corrupting what could be inviting brown eyes. She stared viciously at Obi-Wan, and turned to leave the room.  
  
a/n: Whew! I just wrote that in…… 45 minutes. I stared a little before 10:00 (pm that is) and here I am. My computer was down for a long time (ok, not that long, but it was a whole weekend and that is when I do all my writing). I really hope you liked this part. I tried to incorporate some of your challenges and suggestions. I don't have a reader participation this time, but down below are the results of the other one, and always feel free to turn in more suggestions.  
  
5.)After Obi-Wan escapes, should he be able to get the wrist thingy ma-bob off? NO: /////  
a.) If yes, how does he get it off? Qui-Gon  
6.)What kind of unseemly characters should he meet?bums, gangs, curious girls, a slave driver or a man who has a grudge against Qui-Gon, strange Twi'Lek boy, Some poor soul (or souls) that have fallen through society's cracks. (There, you can use that with a number of the other suggestions.) Ewok, Jawa  
7.)Do you have any challenges for me?maybe mace should have to save qui-gon and obi-wan 1) someone should cry (2) and you should make it that Qui-Gon blows up at Mace at somepoint!   
  
8.)How should Qui-Gon react? What will he do when he finds Obi-Wan has escaped? frustrated 


	10. Leaving

The Way Things Are Now: Leaving  
By: Alyssa  
Disclaimer: I don't own Obi-Wan or any of the Star Wars characters  
Summary: Obi-Wan angst. He is trying to escape the fighting ring, and at the same time Qui-Gon has come in to save him.  
Comes after Book 16 of the Jedi Apprentice series, A Call to Vengeance  
  
Qui-Gon was frustrated. He knew it was possible that Obi-Wan was somewhere in this neighborhood, but he had no way of knowing. He couldn't knock on every door. Not only could that invite unwanted trouble, but it would also take too much time. He pivoted to get a 360 view of the area he was in. Apartment buildings. That was it; a whole lot of apartment buildings. Mace was questioning passersby. Asking them if they had seen anyone of Obi-Wan's description, or if they had simply seen anything out of the ordinary. Qui-Gon could tell he wasn't getting anywhere.   
  
If only he could feel his padawan's presence, but there was nothing. He had always taken that for granted, and he promised himself that if he ever did find Obi-Wan again, he would never take anything for granted. He turned to see Mace walking up towards him.  
"I've got nothing." Mace relayed. "I suggest we keep going. Maybe Obi-Wan got farther than we thought."  
Qui-Gon nodded.  
  
~~~  
  
Obi-Wan was sitting at the small table in the kitchen. He had felt well enough this morning to get out of bed. As he finished his drink, he decided to get a better idea of where he was. He walked slowly towards the window, and lazily peered out. Immediately his gaze was fixed to the center of the square, where two figures were talking. At first he thought that he must be delirious, but it was just too real. Obi-Wan could almost feel his master's presence. He could almost smell him.   
  
Suddenly the figures were moving. No! Obi-Wan thought angrily. His fingers flew for the window's latch. He clawed at it viciously but it refused to open.  
"What do you think you're doing?" Safiya's annoyed voice pounded into his head. Obi-Wan turned and ran as fast as his limping legs could take him. Safiya stood between him and the door. Her eyes flared with fury and her hands rested impatiently on her hips. "Where do you think you're going? You could get hur…." She stopped abruptly as Obi-Wan shoved his way past her and flung open the door. He was running down the stairs now, and he had to physically restrain the nausea that this action produced. He could hear Safiya gaining on him but he kept moving. After what seemed like eternities, he reached the bottom floor and shoved himself through the door. The brilliant sunlight reflecting off the ever-present metal almost paralyzed him, but he continued for the square. When he got there, he looked in every direction, but the figures who were here moments before were nowhere in sight.   
  
Obi-Wan sat on the hard, cool, unnatural ground, and gave up. This is it, he thought. He looked towards the road ahead of him, and wondered if that was the road his master had taken. The road that had taken his master from him. Then Safiya was upon him, and yanking his arm up fiercely. He stood and looked Safiya in the eye. His soft, somewhat subdued blue, to her fierce brown. He looked at her a moment longer, then jerked his arm free. She was surprised at his action, and simply stood staring at him.  
  
"I was that close." Obi-Wan said softly, afraid that his anger and frustration would show if he spoke any louder. "I am not going to sit here and waste my time any longer. I've got to go find my master."  
Safiya clenched his fists at her sides as if his harsh words had actually stung her.   
"We didn't have to take care of you, you know!" She yelled freely, never the one to care about her emotions. "I told my mother to just leave you on the street! And after that, you're still ungrateful. That's amazing! Leave, I don't care, I wanted you to leave at the beginning!" She spat, and turned harshly for the door. Obi-Wan watched her take a couple of strides and then stop. If he had had the force, he was sure he would be able to sense indecision.   
  
She turned and glared at him with her arms crossed. "You have a master?!?" she asked incredulously.  
  
~~~  
  
Safiya followed Obi-Wan back up the steps to her apartment.  
"You're a Jedi?" she asked incredulously, as if to say he didn't look like one.  
"Yes." Obi-Wan answered, slightly perturbed.  
"Then how come you crashed?" she asked venomously. He turned swiftly so that she almost fell backwards, and lifted the bracelet around his wrist for her to see. Without giving a word of explanation, he continued up.  
"What's that?" Safiya asked. Obi-Wan ignored her, and walked into the apartment. He strode quickly towards the table and picked up his lightsaber, which he had left in his haste. He clipped it onto his belt and looked around to see if there was anything else he should bring.   
  
"I'm going with you." Safiya burst suddenly. Obi-Wan turned and glared at her.  
"No, you're not." He answered coolly.  
"I am too! There is no way that I'm going to allow myself to indirectly cause your death!" She countered. Obi-Wan merely shook his head and turned for the door.  
"Won't we need food or something?" She asked; worry seeping into her usually confident voice.  
"Only if you want to eat." He answered, as he started down the stairs. He heard her curse as she ran for a bag and started to stuff it with food. He couldn't help but smile.  
  
  
A/N: This one was pretty short; but hey, there was some dramatic irony. Tell me what you think and feel free to review with any suggestions! 


	11. Hope?

The Way Things Are Now: Hope?  
By: Alyssa  
Disclaimer: I don't own Obi-Wan or any of the Star Wars characters  
Summary: Obi-Wan angst. He is trying to escape the fighting ring, and at the same time Qui-Gon has come in to save him.  
Comes after Book 16 of the Jedi Apprentice series, A Call to Vengeance  
  
  
Obi-Wan sighed as he tried to gather himself. No one around here seemed to know the direction to the Jedi Temple, and he was growing more frustrated as they moved on. He really had no plan, and he didn't know what they would do if they were stuck out here at night.  
"Can we stop to eat?" Safiya pleaded loudly. Obi-Wan shook his consent and found a clear spot to sit.  
"How come you don't know where your Jedi Temple is?" Safiya asked, a little suspicious. Obi-Wan ignored her and asked a question of his own.  
"Do you know anybody who might know where it is? Or is there a cab company we can call?" He asked.  
"No, and no. No one around here has any business at the Jedi Temple, and it is too dangerous to be profitable for cabs here." She answered, chewing on a pastry she had packed.  
"Isn't your mother going to be worried?" Obi-Wan asked her. He hadn't thought of this before, and now he felt guilty.  
"Naw, I go out all the time." Safiya answered. "If we don't get directions to your temple soon, I know some kids we can hang with." She added. Obi-Wan was only slightly relieved: who knew what her friends could be like?   
  
"We've got to keep moving." Obi-Wan prompted, as he stood again.]  
"But I just sat down!" Safiya protested boisterously.  
  
~~~  
  
"I have a feeling we missed something." Qui-Gon confided in Mace as the speed sped to their next designated search area.  
"Hmmm…" Mace answered thoughtfully.  
"I don't know, but something tells me we just passed right over him." Qui-Gon continued.  
"We might've, but we have got to keep pressing forward. If we find nothing, we can always go back." Mace resolved.  
What if something happens to Obi-Wan before then? Qui-Gon thought to himself.  
"He'll be alright, Qui-Gon." Mace said, sensing his friend's feelings.  
I hope so, Qui-Gon thought, knowing that he would never be able to forgive Mace if Obi-Wan died.  
  
~~~  
  
"No, I don't know where any Jedi Temple is, but there were a couple of Jedi's here earlier." A toothless human responded to Obi-Wan's question.  
"Why do you think they were Jedi?" Obi-Wan asked, his excitement mounting.  
"They had robes and those Light-Sword things. That's what Jedis look like isn't it?" the dirty man asked. Obi-Wan smiled and nodded.  
"Did one have long hair and a beard?"  
"Yes, and the other one was bald and black." The man smiled as if recalling a fond memory. "They certainly were odd looking." Obi-Wan could hardly contain himself at this, and turned to see that Safiya agreed with his assessment of the man's own looks.  
  
"What did they ask you?" Obi-Wan asked, serious again.  
"As a matter of fact, they asked for someone of your description." The man seemed to be growing bored of this interrogation, and looked as if he was ready to leave. Obi-Wan had one last question.  
"Did you see where they went?" He asked.  
"They went that way." The man said pointing down a side street.  
"Thanks." Obi-Wan replied appreciatively. He started walking towards the street, but he soon felt Safiya gripping his arm.  
  
"We can't go down there. It's dangerous." She cautioned softly.  
"If that's where Qui-Gon went, then that's where I'm going." Obi-Wan replied sternly. Safiya looked torn between her obligation to him and her concern for her own well-being. Her eyes pleaded with him to forget it, to just take another road; but his eyes looked back unyielding, and she knew he couldn't be swayed.  
"You are not being forced to come with me. You can go home anytime you'd like." He told her softly. She glared at him threateningly, then she just looked at him rebelliously.  
"I don't want your blood on my conscience." She said by means of an answer, and she walked ahead of him towards the side street.  
  
~~~  
  
"Found something you have not." Yoda stated regretfully.   
"We still haven't finished our search areas." Mace reminded him via comlink, but Qui-Gon stepped in.  
"I think we've missed something. I have a feeling Obi-Wan is behind us." He stopped as he considered voicing his next opinion.  
"To split up you want." Yoda said slowly. Qui-Gon nodded, feeling Mace's eyes on him.  
"I think it would be faster." He said.  
"Very well. Continue forward will Mace, and go back will you."  
  
  
A/N: Ok, this was quick and stupid. I wrote this in…. about 20 minute. Can you say 'Severe Writer's Block'?  
PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE send me some suggestions!  
Should Obi-Wan and Safiya meet a gang in the alley?  
Should Obi-Wan fall for Safiya, or should they become friends?  
What should Qui-Gon do?  
  
The more suggestions you guys send me, the easier it is for me to write.  
  
Thanks a bijillion! 


	12. Confrontation

The Way Things Are Now: Confrontations  
By: Alyssa  
Disclaimer: I don't own Obi-Wan or any of the Star Wars characters  
Summary: Obi-Wan angst. He is trying to escape the fighting ring, and at the same time Qui-Gon has come in to save him.  
Comes after Book 16 of the Jedi Apprentice series, A Call to Vengeance  
  
  
"I have a bad feeling about this." Safiya whispered to Obi-Wan as they walked cautiously down the dark alleyway.  
"Did you hear that?" Obi-Wan asked quietly, holding out his arm to stop her.  
"Hear what?" Safiya just managed to get out.  
  
A crash came from down the alleyway, and running feet could be heard. Obi-Wan ignited his light saber and pushed Safiya behind him. Then he noticed feet were running from behind them too.  
  
"Oh!" Safiya choked as if her voice was caught. "It's the Zones."   
  
Maniac yells erupted all around them, as the figures became slowly visible.  
"What do we have here?" a voice asked sinisterly from amid the figures. Obi-Wan turned his lightsaber in the voices direction, but the voice just cackled. "You think we're scared of your glowing sword?"  
  
Figures were rushing at them from all sides. Safiya pulled out a small blade she had concealed, but Obi-Wan didn't have time to register its futility. A glinting blade was heading towards him, but he was able to snap it in half with a sweep of his lightsaber. He saw some of the dark shadows retreat, but other stepped forward.  
  
Blades of all sizes attacked from all angles, and Obi-Wan was amazed at the sheer size of this gang. Safiya cried from besides him as a blade slashed her arm. Obi-Wan turned to strike back at the figure that had done it.  
"Are you all right?" Obi-Wan managed without losing too much control. Safiya refused to answer, instead she tried in vain to cut the person closest to her.  
  
As soon as they appeared, the blades were gone. But Obi-Wan couldn't relax, because the blades had been replaced with blasters.  
  
~~~  
  
Qui-Gon sat impatiently as the landspeeder headed back the way they had just come. He tried again to reach Obi-Wan, and again he failed; but he did feel something. There was a disturbance. Many people were being hurt, and he knew that something was not right.  
  
"Turn left!" He instructed the driver.  
  
~~~  
  
"Safiya, get against the wall!" Obi-Wan yelled loudly. Safiya didn't move. Either out of defiance of sheer terror, Obi-Wan couldn't tell. He blocked the first of the blaster blots and grabbed Safiya's arm. He shoved her into the wall directly behind them, and stood in front of her protectively.  
  
Bolts were headed towards them from all sides now. Obi-Wan could already feel the intense pressure. Without the force, he had to concentrate hundred times harder. It seemed that each blast got a little closer to hurting him or Safiya. He feverishly struck each that came close enough. The gang didn't seem as trained in blasters as they were with blades, but Obi-Wan knew that eventually they'd get him.  
  
As if condemning himself, right at that moment a blast tore threw his shoulder. From behind him, Safiya released a tortured groan. It had hit her too. Obi-Wan's own pain, and the pain he could feel from Safiya, angered him. He turned his lightsaber quicker, and sensed the figures retreating.   
  
Then he heard what they must have heard as well, the sound of a speeder. The whole gang was fleeing towards the north exit of the alley. Obi-Wan slumped with relief. They were safe. He turned to inquire of Safiya, but in so doing, saw the bodies that were littered around them.  
  
He had killed at least a dozen of the gang. If the police found him, they would not ask questions. He turned finally towards Safiya.  
"We have to go." He explained firmly. She looked at him with brown eyes twisted with pain and confusion. "Come on." He whispered, regretfully grabbing her arm and pulling her after the gang.  
  
~~~  
  
Qui-Gon urged the driver to go faster, but the dark alley wasn't easily navigable. Abruptly, the driver slammed on the brakes, and Qui-Gon was thrown against his seat. He was about to demand an answer, when he felt it. Lives lost. He stood and slowly descended from the speeder. There were bodies strewn around. He took them in slowly, wondering if one was Obi-Wan's. He forced himself to think. He didn't automatically recognize any of the bodies, and that gave him hope. He was sure he'd be able to distinguish Obi-Wan's form.  
  
Thinking like a Jedi, he noticed that all the bodies were in a semicircle, encompassing a small section of the east wall. He walked slowly towards that spot careful to avoid the bodies in his way. There was a dark fluid on the ground, and he kneeled to view it closer. He stuck two fingers in the small puddle, and rubbed them against his thumb. A deep red was just visible in the relative dark. At once, he knew it was Obi-Wan's blood.   
  
  
A/N:  
Short again, I know. I have an excuse though, really I do! I was in Canada for three days! Anyway, review and tell me what you think. And please, feel free to suggest….  
Alyssa 


	13. Trough It

The Way Things Are Now: Getting Through It  
By: Alyssa  
Disclaimer: I don't own Obi-Wan or any of the Star Wars characters  
Summary: Obi-Wan angst. He is trying to escape the fighting ring, and at the same time Qui-Gon has come in to save him.  
Comes after Book 16 of the Jedi Apprentice series, A Call to Vengeance  
  
Obi-Wan could hear Safiya softly crying behind him. His teachings and his feeling warred against each other. He knew that in getting farther away he could better their survival, but he could also tell that Safiya, and himself, was tired and needed to rest.  
  
"Come on, let's sit down." Obi-Wan suggested as he helped Safiya towards the wall of a building. She slumped against it, clutching her wounded shoulder with her free arm. She continued to cry softly, and Obi-Wan didn't know what to do. He examined his own wound, and determined that it wasn't that bad. He pulled out a shirt that Safiya had packed in the bag, and ripped two long strips from it. He used one to bind his arm, then turned towards Safiya.  
"Let me see your shoulder." He said softly as he kneeled in front of her. She wasn't listening to him, and she continued to grip her shoulder. Obi-Wan wondered anxiously if she was in shock, and slowly peeled her hand away himself. With the wound exposed, he was relieved to find it only a little worse than his own. He lifted her arm gently and then tied the strip of clothe on.  
  
With that motion, Safiya turned towards him, tears still falling down her cheeks.  
"The Zones are the gang that killed Setne." She said before an onslaught of choking sobs. She was taking quick breathes, trying to calm herself to talk, but her pain brought on more sobs and Obi-Wan realized she was hyperventilating.   
"Safiya, it's ok, they're gone. OK?" He asked her gently. She shook her head, and readied to talk again.  
"I promised myself, that I would kill them all… or… at least die trying…." Her sobs started again, and her whole body shook. Obi-Wan pulled her forward slightly to give her a comforting hug.  
"It's ok. Safiya." He whispered.  
"No, I couldn't do it. I froze. I couldn't do what I'd promised Setne."  
  
~~~  
  
"He was here, Mace, I know it. He got into some sort of a fight, but ran away before I could get to him. He must have thought I was someone else." Qui-Gon said. It was hard for him to believe; that Obi-Wan would feel the need to run from him.  
"I'll leave to meet up with you right now." Mace answered. Qui-Gon was about to turn off his comlink, when Mace continued. "Yoda may have gotten a lead on Mirko. He had reason to believe that he was at a bar near your position. May the force be with you, Qui-Gon."  
"May the force be with you." Qui-Gon replied. Qui-Gon sat in the motionless land speeder. They had followed the alley until it spilled into the main road again. Once they were there, Qui-Gon could not be sure which way Obi-Wan had gone. Then it hit him like a sledge hammer to the head.  
  
He could still see Obi-Wan explaining it as if it was yesterday. A couple of years ago, while on one of their missions, Obi-Wan told Qui-Gon that he had a pattern of escape when he was running. With a beaming smile, he had said that whenever he was trying to lost someone he would follow this pattern, so even if he forgot the landmarks in his excitement or fear, he could still find his way back. He always went: left, left, straight, right, straight, left, right, left, straight, straight, right, right. This pattern factored in every turn, even an alley (assuming it went through).  
  
Qui-Gon almost hit himself for not remembering sooner. He yelled at the driver in front to turn left.  
  
~~~  
  
A/N  
Sorry that it has been so long. As always, I wrote this all today. But anywho, by overwhelming demand, Obi-Wan and Safiya will remain friends (I must admit, I am glad. I'm not good at portraying love). Now, as always, I really REALLY really need your suggestions. I hope you've liked this.  
Thanks! 


	14. Reaching

The Way Things Are Now: Reaching  
By: Alyssa  
Disclaimer: I don't own Obi-Wan or any of the Star Wars characters  
Summary: Obi-Wan angst. He is trying to escape the fighting ring, and at the same time Qui-Gon has come in to save him.  
Comes after Book 16 of the Jedi Apprentice series, A Call to Vengeance  
  
  
Qui-Gon examined the streets as best as he could from the moving speeder. He could only hope that he would catch up to Obi-Wan before anything else happened. The streets were fairly crowded with lower class merchants, and a lot of the ground was obscured. Qui-Gon swore softly; there wasn't much he could do now except wait for Mace.  
"You can stop here." He instructed the driver. Obi-Wan had to have taken this path, but where was he?  
  
~~~  
  
"Are you doing okay?" Obi-Wan asked Safiya as they continued to walk. Safiya merely nodded from her position next to him. "Qui-Gon has to be somewhere around here." Obi-Wan stated more for Safiya's benefit than to voice his opinion. She nodded again, without really listening to him.  
  
Suddenly something caught Obi-Wan's eye. It was someone familiar, but it wasn't Qui-Gon. Mirko. Obi-Wan pulled Safiya into a doorway, and peeked around it.  
"What is it?" Safiya asked, aware now.  
"Mirko." Obi-Wan whispered hatefully.  
"Another Jedi?" Safiya asked innocently.  
"No." Obi-Wan responded, "He's a bad guy."  
  
Mirko was buying something from a shop. His blond curls looked a little duller than usual, but it was Mirko, Obi-Wan was sure of it.  
"What are you going to do?" Safiya asked, faint excitement piercing through her almost constant sullenness.   
"I don't know, but I think we should follow him and see what he is up to." Obi-Wan answered.  
  
Mirko was leaving the shop now, and Obi-Wan slipped from his hiding place, dragging Safiya behind him. Mirko continued down the streets, taking a winding path that he was obviously familiar with. Then he stepped into a dingy building and closed the door behind him.  
"What do you think he's doing in there? There aren't any windows." Safiya noted. Obi-Wan nodded but walked towards the building nonetheless. Safiya crept slowly behind him. Suddenly aware that her hair was out of place and the fight had wrinkled her clothes, she tried to straighten them as best she could while still staying close to Obi-Wan.  
  
When Obi-Wan finally reached the wall of the building, he didn't know what to do next. Without the force, he couldn't heighten his senses to see or hear anything, and he knew he couldn't protect himself if he went in.  
"What are you going to do?" Safiya asked.  
"I don't know." Obi-Wan answered, getting annoyed by her questions in spite of himself.  
"I have an idea." Safiya announced as she walked towards the door.  
"What are you doing?" Obi-Wan whispered fiercely, glaring at her.  
"Be quiet!" She commanded, "And hide yourself." Without waiting for him to follow her directions, she knocked on the door. Cursing, Obi-Wan slipped behind an old carton, ready to jump out and help Safiya if he had to.  
  
A few moments later, the door opened cautiously.   
"What do you want?" A tall, angered man with well-defined muscles asked.  
"I heard this was a black market dealership, and I need to get something." Safiya answered coolly.  
"This is not a black market dealership." The man proclaimed loudly as he prepared to shut the door. Safiya stuck her foot in the door's way and looked at the man suspiciously.  
"If this is not a dealership, than what is it?" She asked.  
"A used chip store, but we're closed." With his answer, he shut the door noisily.  
  
Safiya walked slowly towards Obi-Wan, and he came from behind the carton to meet her.  
"I don't see how that helped us very much." He stated moodily, still sour that Safiya had acted so carelessly.  
"They have a lot of boxes and guns lying around, my think they may be planning something big." She said with a smile, then she turned around and started heading down the street. "We better find your Jedi friends before something happens." She continued.  
Smugly, Obi-Wan followed her.  
  
~~~  
  
"Do you have a better idea of where Obi-Wan is?" Mace asked as he approached Qui-Gon.  
"No, but I know he is somewhere around here, or was not too long ago." Qui-Gon assured him.  
"Good, because I have a plan." Mace said as he walked towards the driver of his speeder. Qui-Gon watched his back astounded that he had left without telling him his plan. Then Mace came back again and, avoiding the subject of his plan again, he looked at the buildings around them.  
"So?" Qui-Gon asked.  
"What?" Mace asked in return.  
"Your plan." Qui-Gon felt like screaming.  
"There must be something that you could write that nobody but Obi-Wan would understand." Mace started.  
"Of Course." Qui-Gon pressed him.  
"Well, put out a sign with a message to him, perhaps a meeting place, and when he sees it he will find you."  
  
Mace's plan seemed rudimentary, but Qui-Gon admitted that it might work.  
"I'm going to need several signs to place at different areas." Qui-Gon stated.  
"Of course." Mace answered. Qui-Gon sat on the edge of his speeder. Now all he had to do was think of a secret message for Obi-Wan, but what should it be?  
  
~~~  
  
Safiya laughed abruptly, and Obi-Wan turned to see what was happening.  
"That's a funny thing to put on a sign!" She stated pointed to a sign in the distance.  
  
Hyphens meet following escape pattern from here.  
  
Obi-Wan stared at the signs for several minutes. Could it be? Qui-Gon had posted this fatuous message for him?   
Safiya stared at Obi-Wan, confused.  
"Following escape pattern from here." Obi-Wan whispered softly. Escape pattern? Did they have an escape pattern?  
  
Then it hit him. It was his escape pattern, the one he had used unconsciously earlier today. Obi-Wan smiled and turned to Safiya. He led her to the sign, and then they turned left.  
  
A/N:  
OK, I know it's been a while, and this chapter smells like expired milk, but I'm trying to figure out something that can happen… Anyway, I've also had stupid long Washington WASL testing all week, work, and the third person to die at my high school this year died while coming home from prom ?, so I've been a little distracted, but I did try to right something! ? Anyway, I'll try to write more, and better, later. Thanks!  
Please continue reading and reviewing. 


	15. Soon In Somebody's Company

The Way Things Are Now: Soon In Somebody's Company  
By: Alyssa  
Disclaimer: I don't own Obi-Wan or any of the Star Wars characters  
Summary: Obi-Wan angst. He is trying to escape the fighting ring, and at the same time Qui-Gon has come in to save him.  
Comes after Book 16 of the Jedi Apprentice series, A Call to Vengeance  
  
  
Obi-Wan was still beaming as he walked along with Safiya. He had the urge to run as fast as he could to meet Qui-Gon, but he knew that Safiya was tired. He was just feeling like nothing could go wrong when he saw him: Mirko.  
"Look." He whispered to Safiya, casually indicating in Mirko's direction.  
"Bad guy again?" She asked.  
"Yes, Mirko." Obi-Wan felt the anger rise in him again, but he pushed it down and let the force engulf it.  
"Don't we have to do that thing, you know, the sign said? Aren't we supposed to meet up with your master?" Safiya asked, obviously trying to sway him from doing anything. Obi-Wan had to weigh his choices: A.) He could meet up with Qui-Gon as soon as possible, tell him about Mirko, and hope that together they could foil his plan, or B.) He could go after Mirko now, and cut down the risk of Mirko carrying out his plan before Jedi could arrive.  
  
While he desperately wanted to be reunited with Qui-Gon, he knew that he couldn't let Mirko go. It was a decision a Jedi was trained to make; the good of humanity before one's own personal interests. But Obi-Wan knew he couldn't pass up this chance to meet up with Qui-Gon. He turned towards Safiya.  
"Safiya, I need you to continue on my route, and meet up with Qui-Gon. Then bring him back to the building he went into earlier. I'm sure that is where Mirko is headed." Obi-Wan's voice was serious and unwavering; Safiya knew to behave. She nodded.  
"Be careful, Obi-Wan." She said before running off in the direction Obi-Wan had told her about earlier.  
  
When Safiya was out of sight, Obi-Wan started to track Mirko. He didn't know what Mirko was up to, but he was determined to find out and foil whatever his plan was. He followed Mirko to the building he and Safiya had seen before. Mirko disappeared inside and Obi-Wan had to stop and think. He could try to find a back entrance to this building, but with all the possible streets and alleys, it could take too long. Since there were no windows, he knew he would have to enter through the front door. Without the force, he wouldn't be a match for even a couple of Mirko's henchmen; he would just have to risk it.  
  
He opened the door as quietly as he could. When he had opened far enough to just look through, he was able to tell that at least the anteroom was empty. Why would Mirko leave the door unlocked? Was this a trap? Or maybe, was he just over confident?   
Whatever the answer, Obi-Wan knew he would be going in either way. He wouldn't be able to forgive himself if he allowed another life force to go through what he had in just his short stay at the fighting ring.   
  
He entered the dark room and headed for the only other door. The boxes that Safiya had seen earlier were still there, but whatever weapons had been lying around had been moved. He opened the door cautiously as he had done with the first door, and again he encountered an empty room.  
  
~~~  
  
Safiya continued to run down in the direction he had told her. According to his escape route, she should only have to find two more rights to find his master, Qui-Gon. Her lungs were aching and her shoulder throbbed, but she knew she had to continue as fast as she could. If Obi-Wan died, it would be like losing a brother all over again. One right: one more to go.   
  
She could see a turn in the road up ahead of her. She dodged between shoppers and children chasing each other. She turned the corner without even stopping to check if it was clear. Luckily it was, and as she continued, she started to make out some figures next to a speeder. There were several people milling about, but two were wearing the style of robe Obi-Wan had described. She continued to run towards them, and soon they were turned in her direction.  
  
~~~  
  
"Who is she?" Mace asked as he and Qui-Gon continued to watch the girl running towards them.  
"I have no idea." Qui-Gon answered softly.  
  
When the girl had come close enough it was evident she was trying to talk, but no sound was coming out of her. She ran the last strides and then stopped in front of them, again she tried to talk, but she was out of breath. She moved her arms to emphasize something, but she was so distraught that even the Jedis couldn't read her. Frustrated at not being able to talk, the girl started to cry softly as she gasped for breath.  
"Calm down." Qui-Gon spoke gently, touching her shoulder. The girl cringed and pulled away slightly. Then, Qui-Gon noticed the wound on her shoulder, tied off with…. Could it be? It was just a slightly dirty white cloth, but Qui-Gon recognized it as a standard Jedi tunic. "Obi-Wan? You know where Obi-Wan is?" He asked, struggling between anxiousness and Jedi calm.  
  
The girl nodded, settling slightly under the Jedi influence.  
"Take a deep breath." Mace commanded her tenderly. The girl listened, and soon was about to talk.  
"Obi-Wan, going to find Mirko, at the building." She managed to get out.  
Mace could sense Qui-Gon's growing impatience, and decided to talk before Qui-Gon.  
"Where?" he asked soothingly.  
"Back there, left, left, straight, straight, right. There's a building at the end of an alley with no windows." She answered.  
  
Qui-Gon was itching to just run to Obi-Wan, but he knew better, and turned and jumped into the landspeeder.  
"Driver!" Mace called, "Take her." He ordered, gently pushing Safiya towards the driver. He then jumped in next to Qui-Gon, and Qui-Gon sped off.  
  
~~~  
  
The next room Obi-Wan tried wasn't empty. It was far from empty. No less than 20 children were in a large training room. They ranged in age from five years old to ten years old. They were fighting each other. Obi-Wan opened the door a little wider, and soon caught sight of Mirko pacing the room. He was observing each of the small fights. He stopped at each one, and would point to one boy from each pair, and one of Mirko's goons would take him away. It was soon evident that Mirko was choosing the weakest of each pair.  
  
After the weaker boy was taken away, the victor stood at attention. When Mirko had finished, he turned towards the boys and glared down at them.  
"You are far from being even acceptable. With training, one or two of you might survive your fights to come…" Mirko drawled. "Now, force exercises."  
  
Obi-Wan's ears perked. Force exercises? Then he noticed it. Each boy had the same thing on his wrist as Obi-Wan had. Mirko was using other force sensitive children. Mirko demonstrated the exercise, by making a ball move and then thrusting it forcefully against the wall. So Mirko was force sensitive as well. Obi-Wan couldn't help but be smug; he could tell Mirko had never been formally trained. Each boy was now demonstrating his use of the force as well.  
  
"Good." Mirko chided semi-sarcastically. "Now we must hurry, many of my betters are strangely attracted to the idea of children fighting, and the fight starts in an hour." The children started to move in the direction of the opposite door. Obi-Wan knew he couldn't wait for Qui-Gon to arrive, he had to act now.  
  
He ignited his lightsaber and rushed into the room. "You're not going to take those children anywhere." Obi-Wan stated threateningly.  
"Really?" Mirko asked with a smile. He snapped his fingers, and the children turned and started heading towards Obi-Wan.  
  
The children weren't armed, Obi-Wan didn't have the force, and Mirko's goons were probably on the way.  
  
A/N: Ok, so I finally updated! Ummm… I didn't proofread this chapter, so I hope it's ok. You should be happy just because I updated this story and not my ER one. Anywho, questions, comments, and suggestions welcomed.   
Please Review. 


	16. Loud

The Way Things Are Now: Loud  
By: Alyssa  
Disclaimer: I don't own Obi-Wan or any of the Star Wars characters  
Summary: Obi-Wan angst. He is trying to escape the fighting ring, and at the same time Qui-Gon has come in to save him.  
Comes after Book 16 of the Jedi Apprentice series, A Call to Vengeance  
  
  
Qui-Gon pushed the speeder to its maximum speed. He raced down the streets and it took all his attention not to hit anything. Mace decided it wasn't the time to chide his friend and kept silent. Both simultaneously thought the same thought: I hope Obi-Wan doesn't try anything stupid.  
  
~~~  
  
Obi-Wan instinctly backed up a little. He chanced a glance at Mirko and caught sight of his evil smirk. Newly determined, Obi-Wan turned back towards the children. He had to disable them without hurting them. The first to attack was one of the older boys. He lunged straight for Obi-Wan´s legs with no apparent fear of the lightsaber he held. Obi-Wan kicked him strongly aside and tried to remain calm. His reflexes were already noticeably slower without the force, and he knew that he wouldn't have time to strategize when things escalated.  
¨You don't have to fight me! ¨ He yelled at the children. ¨I want to free you! ¨   
Either the children didn't understand him, or they didn't care, because they continued to advance on him.   
  
Next to attack was a boy of no more than six years old. He ran at Obi-Wan with his fists poised in the air. Obi-Wan timed the boy, sidestepped, and swooped him up with his unoccupied arm. He gently tossed the boy on top of the first attacker.   
  
With more strategy, the children mutually decided to attack all at once. They started at a run from less than 15 feet away. Obi-Wan deactivated his lightsaber and started to kick and punch.  
  
~~~  
  
There it was. The building the girl had described was right in front of him. Qui-Gon jumped out of the speeder without properly turning it off and ran towards the door. He could feel that something was happening. Mace was behind him, having had to turn off the speeder himself and then catch up. Qui-Gon plowed through the door with no caution and raced through the room almost before perceiving it was empty.  
  
He raced through the next: empty. And then the next: which was most decidedly not empty.  
  
~~~  
  
Obi-Wan did not see him enter; neither did he have the chance to catch his master's expression. Obi-Wan was too focused on the little obstacles in front of him. The children that he hurt were becoming angrier, and while he had tried to calm them with more words, they continued to attack him. It wasn't until Qui-Gon and Mace advanced to fight Mirko and some of his henchmen that had just arrived that Obi-Wan noticed his master was there at all.  
  
A great relief and happiness flowed through him. He lost concentration and one of the children landed a punch straight at his gut. He fell involuntarily and for a brief moment he saw the ceiling before the mass of children closed in on him.   
  
Now defending himself on the ground, he was more vulnerable than before. He could only kick and punch straight upward as the children kicked him and pulled on his hair. He managed to down some by grabbing their legs and pulling them down, but with this came consequence. Every time he focused on one child the rest were free to attack him as they liked, and the children he knocked down soon got up and rejoined the fight anyway. He had never felt more mortal.  
  
~~~  
  
Qui-Gon was fighting Mirko. The blond man didn't have a weapon, so Qui-Gon didn't attack him with one either. It had been a long time since he had gone into hand to hand combat, and he reveled in the strange exhilaration it could bring. Even if Mirko wasn't properly trained in the force, he was still an exceptional fighter. Mirko landed a powerful punch to Qui-Gon´s chest, and Qui-Gon was slightly put back. He soon recovered and struck at Mirko with force enhanced blows.   
  
Mirko soon realized that he was no match for the Jedi. He waited until an opening, then turned and retreated to a back door. Qui-Gon collected himself before deciding what to do. He turned towards Mace who was in control of his fight against three of Mirko´s men. Then Qui-Gon turned to assess how Obi-Wan was doing against the children. Only Qui-Gon couldn't see Obi-Wan. He could only see the children fighting in a tight circle. It wasn't even a choice for Qui-Gon, whether to pursue Mirko or help Obi-Wan. He immediately ran towards where the children were fighting.   
  
As he ran, he used the force. He raised his hands and soon the children were flying through the air. He was gentler with this than he usually was, but he was aware that was only mildly sympathetic towards them. Now that all the children were tossed aside, he had a clear view of Obi-Wan. He was lying on the ground not moving. Qui-Gon refused to think of what this might implicate, and continued towards him. He reached Obi-Wan and barely stopped in time and almost ran over him. Obi-Wan´s eyes were closed and he was curled up in the fetal position with his hands protecting his head. Qui-Gon crouched down and gently lifted Obi-Wan toward him. Qui-Gon almost smiled when Obi-Wan cringed; at least he was alive.  
  
¨Qui-Gon! ¨ Mace called loudly. Qui-Gon turned to see that Mirko´s three men were firing with two blasters each. It was easily comprehended that the children and Obi-Wan were in danger of being hit by stray bullets. Reluctantly, Qui-Gon settled Obi-Wan back down, and throwing a warning glare at the children who were just picking themselves up, he continued to the aid of Mace. Though superbly trained, Mirko´s henchmen were no match against two Jedi Masters. Mace deflected a bullet into the arm of one, and was able to clip another henchman's leg with his lightsaber. Qui-Gon disarmed the remaining man by splitting his blasters in half with his lightsaber. Knowing they were defeated, the men surrendered. Mace nodded at Qui-Gon, and Qui-Gon knew that Mace was giving him leave to go back to Obi-Wan.   
  
Qui-Gon turned and prepared to run back to Obi-Wan´s side, but Obi-Wan was already standing up. Obi-Wan was saying something quietly to the children, and didn't notice that Qui-Gon had turned. Qui-Gon proceeded slowly towards Obi-Wan, and soon Obi-Wan was walking towards him as well. They met each other in the middle. Qui-Gon smiled broadly, but spoke in a casual tone, ¨Hello Obi-Wan.¨  
¨Hello Master.¨  
  
~~~  
  
Obi-Wan was now standing in front of the Jedi Council. A Jedi technician was working at releasing the force-controlling bracelet from Obi-Wan´s wrist. He had spent a couple days in the med center recuperating. Qui-Gon had insisted on it and rarely let Obi-Wan´s friends visit him. Safiya had stayed in the Med Center with him, but had left with her mother the day before, promising to visit him regularly.  
  
Obi-Wan had debriefed Qui-Gon and the council in spurts during his recovery, and for some reason Yoda had wanted him in the council chamber while he got his bracelet off.  
  
There was a scrape, a crunch, and a click, and an hour's work at removing the bracelet finally ended with the opened device resting in the technician's hand. Obi-Wan was stunned as the force came back to him. He unwillingly took a step back as the force overwhelmed him. It seemed more powerful than ever before, and he was reluctant to turn his attention back on Yoda when the small Master began to speak.  
¨How is the force, now that it has returned? ¨ Yoda asked. Obi-Wan only had to think for a moment before concluding.  
¨Loud… Its very loud.¨  
  
Yoda laughed haughtily. ¨A great experience have you had. Valuable to any Jedi.¨  
  
¨Yes Master Yoda.¨ Obi-Wan answered, turning to smile at the council.  
  
The End  
  
  
Author's Note:  
Well, there you have it. I'm sorry this took so long. I was going to post before I left for Europe but the website was down. Then my computer completely died and I lost what I had started for this chapter. Then I couldn't type more because I didn't have the rest of my story before me, and I couldn't get my story off the sight because my stupid internet is stupid. Enough excuses. I hope this ending wasn't too much of a let down. Was it too anticlimactic? If I ever write again, I may just wait until I have a lot of the story done so I can post it in increments with out have to make you guys wait. I don't know though, because next year is going to be really hectic for me in school, what with AP Calculus, AP US history, UW extension Spanish, and yearbook; but I just may!  
  
Anyway, thanks for being such great readers!  
  
Alyssa 


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